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The Journal of Headache and Pain
Published in: The Journal of Headache and Pain 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Migraine | Research article

Burden of headache disorders in China, 1990–2017: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Authors: Chengye Yao, Yu Wang, Lijun Wang, Yunning Liu, Jiangmei Liu, Jinlei Qi, Yun Lin, Peng Yin, Maigeng Zhou

Published in: The Journal of Headache and Pain | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Background

Headache has emerged as a global public health concern. However, little is known about the burden from headache disorders in China. The aim of this work was to quantify the spatial patterns and temporal trends of burden from headache disorders in China.

Methods

Following the general analytic strategy used in the 2017 Global Burden of Disease study, we analyzed the prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) of headache and its main subcategories, including migraine and tension-type headache (TTH), by age, sex, year and 33 province-level administrative units in China from 1990 to 2017.

Results

Almost 112.4 million individuals were estimated to have headache disorders in 1990 in China, which rose to 482.7 million in 2017. The all-age YLDs increased by 36.2% from 1990 to 2017. Migraine caused 5.5 million YLDs, much higher than TTH (1.1 million) in 2017. The age-standardized prevalence and YLDs rate of headache remained stable and high in 2017 compared with 1990, respectively. The proportion of total headache YLDs in all diseases increased from 1990 to 2017 by 5.4%. A female preponderance was observed for YLDs and the YLDs were mainly in people aged 20~54 years.

Conclusions

Headache remains a huge health burden in China from 1990 to 2017, with prevalence and YLDs rates higher in eastern provinces than western provinces. The substantial increase in headache cases and YLDs represents an ongoing challenge in Chinese population. Our results can help shape and inform headache research and public policy throughout China, especially for females and middle-aged people.
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Metadata
Title
Burden of headache disorders in China, 1990–2017: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
Authors
Chengye Yao
Yu Wang
Lijun Wang
Yunning Liu
Jiangmei Liu
Jinlei Qi
Yun Lin
Peng Yin
Maigeng Zhou
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
Springer Milan
Published in
The Journal of Headache and Pain / Issue 1/2019
Print ISSN: 1129-2369
Electronic ISSN: 1129-2377
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-019-1048-2

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